Hinata's Childhood Friend
by Socky the NOT so Subtle
Summary: First Fic, A story of Hinata's early life and her father. A tad sad. Naruhina.


_**My first! How exciting, feel free to leave me criticism, I know I kinda rushed the ending but I do hope you enjoy.**_

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing at all.**

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A small child with long dark blue hair peeked around the door and into the room where the Hyuuga's received visitors for meetings. Her lavender coloured eyes, nearly hidden by her bangs, watched as a young boy talked to her father, Hiashi.

"I want to become stronger. I _need_ to become stronger." The boy said. "I have to avenge my family, please, I've heard the Sharingan originated from the Byakugan technique. Teach me to use my sharingan." The boy bowed at Hiashi.

"I have worked with the Sharingan before, but are you strong enough, worthy enough to receive tutelage from the great Hyuuga Clan?" Hiashi asked, his face wearing a stern, almost bored expression and his arms folding in front of his body.

The young boy looked up. "What can I do to show you my worth?" he asked.

"I want you to spar with the Hyuuga heiress, she is just a bit younger than yourself. If you overcome her, I will teach you that which you desire." Hiashi told the boy.

"I will defeat her." The young boy stated confidently, bowing once more.

"Three days from now, you will come back and she will be waiting." Hiashi told him, in his tone a note of dismissal.

Hinata pressed her arm against her stomach and bit her bottom lip. Her father was sure to make her train even harder now. Her stomach felt sick and her legs trembled as she slowly and quietly walked back to her room.

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(Just after the battle, at the Hyuuga Mansion)

Hinata lay on the ground and looked up at the sky, her body aching, her heart hurting even more.  
She had seen the look on her father's face as she had tried to get past Sasuke's defence. She hadn't even managed to touch him. She wondered if her father had organized this match to punish her, for not being strong.

"Don't worry about her, she can get up on her own." Hiashi called out to the Hyuuga Medical-Ninjas who were preparing to go and bandage Hinata.

Slowly, Hinata stood. Her right wrist and left ankle were twisted and very painful. She looked over at Sasuke, who was watching her with a bored, uninterested gaze. She swallowed back tears of pain and slowly limped inside from the sparring courtyard.

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(The next day, at the Hyuuga Mansion)

Hinata was picking flowers from the Hyuuga gardens for her to press later when she came across Sasuke, sitting on one of the benches scattered symmetrically around the garden. She didn't think he had noticed her yet, and his face looked sad as he stared at the small pond.

"A-are you…Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice small and shaky.

Sasuke jumped a little and stared at her, not answering.

"Ah…umm…" Hinata stammered, blushing. "I…I'm sorry for bothering you." She said as she turned back the way she had come, only two flowers clutched in her left hand.

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(A few days later, at the Ninja Academy)

"S…stop, please…t-that hurts!" Hinata cried as one of the students in the year above her twisted her right arm behind her back.

"Not until you say it." The bully, told her, his grip tightening on her small wrist.

"I'll s-s-say it…just stop!" Hinata whimpered.

"Then do it." The bully said with a cruel smile.

"I…I'm sorry for…b-being w-weak a-and…m-making the w-whole school look b-bad f-f-for…even g-going h-here." Hinata said, tears in her eyes.

"Good girl." The bully sneered and let go of her arm. "See, guys? The Ninja from those great clans aren't so great after all." He told his two friends who were watching and egging him on.

Hinata didn't see Sasuke sitting in the shadow of a tree close by, watching the whole thing.

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(Later that day, at the Hyuuga Mansion.)

Hinata sat by the pond in the garden, watching the bright coloured Koi fish who lived there swimming in lazy circles as she scattered their food on the water. The water felt good against the hot red mark on her wrist.

"Why don't you stand up for yourself?" A voice asked t her right.

Hinata stood up, blushing. "W-what?" she asked as she faced Sasuke.  
"Why don't you stand up for yourself." Sasuke asked again in a bored tone.

"T-to who?" Hinata asked.

"Those bullies at school." Sasuke stated.

"O-oh…umm…p-please don't tell m-my father." Hinata begged. "He already h-hates m-me for b-being weak." She whispered.

"Then why don't you train harder and become stronger?" Sasuke asked, as if that had been obvious.

"I do t-train…Everyday." Hinata told him.

"Whatever." Sasuke said and walked off to the dojo for his lesson with Hiashi.

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(The next day, at the Ninja Academy.)

"Oh, look what we have here, the failure." the bully said to Hinata.

"I'm n-not a f-failure." She said quietly.

"What was that? Your voice was a bit _weak_." The bully smirked.

"I'm n-not failure." Hinata said a bit louder.

The bully looked around at his friends. "Ya know what? I think the failure needs a haircut for talking back. Grab her arms."

Hinata tried to run but the bullies caught up and one grabbed each arm. Hinata struggled but their hold was tight.

The bully went behind her and took her hair in his hand, hacking at it with a dull shuriken he had stolen from his older brother. Tears rolled down Hinata's face as in her mind she heard her mother telling her how beautiful her hair was. She kicked out at the bully, managing to deliver a solid blow to one of their shins. The hold became weak and she broke it. Truly mad, she was ready to fight them, when somebody suddenly stood in front of her.

"This has gone on long enough." Sasuke told the bullies. "The teachers know you've been harassing Hyuuga-San here and if you're thinking of taking it out on somebody, make it me. I could take you all and not break a sweat." He said.

The bullys paled at the knowledge that the teachers knew that they were bullying Hinata and warned her never to mess with them again or they would hurt her real bad, before running off.  
"Uchiha-San, thank you." Hinata said, her hand going behind her head to feel how short her hair was now. "Why did you help me?" she asked him.

"Because if they start thinking the great clans are weak, that means they think_ I'm _weak and I am not." Sasuke said, glaring at her.

"Ah." Hinata said as she dried her tears on her sleve.

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Over the next few weeks, Hinata would see Sasuke on his way to lessons with Hiashi and say hello, thanking him once again for his help. She came to realize he was lonely, and when he talked to her she would sit with him and listen to him raptly. You couldn't accurately call them friends, but they because used to each others company.

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"Uchiha-San… are you s-scared of anything?" Hinata asked him softly.

"No." He replied quickly. "Fear makes you weak."

"A-ah." Hinata said.

"What about you?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm afraid of…m-my father…I…think he's g-going to r-replace me one d-day, because h-he believes m-me weak. I a-am weak. I d-don't really b-blame him." Hinata said, looking down at the ground.

"I don't want to hurt those I love like my brother did, if he did it, that means I could do it just as easy. I'd rather die." Sasuke said after a long silence.

"Uchiha-San…" Hinata said sadly.

"You can call me Sasuke." He told her, looking the other way.

"S-Sasuke-Kun, I promise to t-try my best to s-stop you, if you e-ever get like t-that. I know I'm n-not that s-strong, b-but I'll try m-my hardest." Hinata told him softly.

"Whatever." Sasuke said and stood up walking away.

"Y-you c-an call me Hinata." Hinata called out to him.

He gave no sign he had heard.

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(Ten years later, Konoha Village.)

Hinata was older and stronger now, she had grown more confident in herself and it showed. She no longer hid in the shadows of life. Her missions were successful and her father was closer to accepting her, though not quite there. She had somebody she loved, thought she still hadn't the courage to tell him so. She was content and she knew that one day, she would find the courage to tell him.

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The village was at war, Hinata was looking out for her friends in the various brawls scattered around her after they had become separated. She looked to her left and saw Naruto-Kun, fighting Sasuke-Kun. Naruto looked in pretty bad shape and she decided to try to help him out, wondering if she wouldn't be more of a hindrance. She fought her way over to them just as Sasuke-Kun was about to deliver a final blow with a Chidori Blade. Without hesitation or thinking, she jumped in front of the blade, white hot pain radiating from her stomach, where it had pierced her.

Hinata looked up at Sasuke-Kun, who was wide eyed in shock.

"H-Hinata?" Sasuke said slowly.

Hinata winced as the pain intensified. "I…p-promised…right?" she said softly and fell backwards. Blood leaking from the wound and staining her clothes..

"HINATA!" Naruto yelled as he caught her, just before her head could strike the ground. "Come on! Don't do this! Come on stay with me!"

Weakly, Hinata held out her hand for Naruto's and he gripped it tight. She slowly and jerkily moved it to her chest, and placed his hand over her heart.

"Y-yours." She managed to whisper. "Always."

Hinata smiled at him through the pain and started to close her eyes, her grip on Naruto's hand becoming weaker and weaker.

With a smile and a glad heart, Hinata greeted death, content with saving her best friend and the boy she loved.


End file.
